It was in 2002 that I jumped off of a cliff with an umbrella in my hand and opened a portrait studio. I never hit ground, and the updrafts have carried me since.

Obviously, this website is dedicated to my 3D functional and sculptural pieces, and I also wanted to give you an idea of what I create in the 2D realm.

PORTRAIT ART - the most challenging of the artsI truly love photography, and especially portraiture. Portraits are the most challenging of art because they are not simply an expression of the artist's feelings, inclinations, desires, and abilities, they are a collaboration between the subject and the patron (who IS the subject most times!) and the artist.

The artist does not get to bury himself or herself in the studio and have no human contact until the piece is done to the satisfaction of the artist. No! The subject IS the art and is also the one paying and the one appreciating the art. This makes for a challenge that many cannot overcome.

And, lastly, the artist must maintain a sense of integrity and self-expression that doesn't impugn one;s own character.

THE REWARDSThat said, the challenge is one that I relish. All of who I am is brought to the task, and there is a cherry on top for me: I get to meet and work with the most interesting of people!

I get to work with families who love each other and want to commemorate and celebrate that love. I am humbled and amazed at the looks on the faces parents when I unveil a portrait of the family or of their children. They beam, they sparkle, they cry and I turn red.

various styles of art pieces

My mind is not quite able to simply lounge and flake out for long... it burns with curiosity and questions continually. Because of that I work in many ways even within the portrait genre.

I work in a classical, structured style. I work in a contemporary casual-seeming style. I create confections to communicate story. I carefully craft corporate messages. All of those approaches get me fired up, get me focused and wound-up over the possibilities.

I have tucked in a gallery below for you to get an idea of the wildly disparate approaches I take and the final art that emerges. Have fun!

If you would like to see more about my portrait work, you may root around these sites: